Arsenal boss Unai Emery is reportedly willing to listen to offers for both Mesut Ozil and Shkodran Mustafi this summer in order to increase his transfer budget.
The Gunners are coming off the back of a bitterly disappointing campaign in which they failed to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League and lost in the Europa League final.
SEE MORE: Personal terms agreed: Arsenal close in on £25m-rated starlet eyed as crucial replacement
In turn, they will be absent from Europe’s top table for the third consecutive year, and that is unsurprisingly going to have a negative impact on them both on and off the pitch.
According to the Evening Standard, Arsenal are expected to have a summer transfer budget of around just £40m, while the rest will have to come from player sales in order to give themselves a boost.
It’s added that Ozil and Mustafi are two players that Emery is willing to sacrifice in order to get that additional money, but unfortunately for him and the Gunners, it’s suggested that there’s little in the way of serious interest in either of them.
With that in mind, it remains to be seen if they can even offload them or if they’re stuck with the same group for next season and are limited to low-key additions in a bid to try and strengthen the squad to close the gap on their rivals.
It’s a difficult time for Arsenal, as the pressure will undoubtedly be growing on Emery to work with what he’s got to take them to the next level and to start competing for major honours.
While Mustafi was a vulnerability at the back on many occasions last season, Ozil contributed just six goals and three assists in 35 appearances across all competitions.
In turn, it’s easy to see why those two would be the obvious sacrifices, but it’s easier said than done it seems in trying to axe them from the squad as it makes life a lot more difficult if the offers simply aren’t on the table to begin with.
